SATB divisi, 5’50”

This composition is the second in my collaboration with Toh Hong Jin, where his reflections on the cherryblossom serve as a meditation on death and the uncertainty brought about by the unsettling line it draws separating the living from the departed. My interpretation of this solemness is inflected by the use of the Kumoi Joshi scale, also referred to as the “Sakura scale”. The melody passes between voices, perhaps creating a “half-heard” effect as it moves between the tessitura of the choir. Lydian and contemporary chord clusters are also used in this setting. The piece is dedicated to friends who have experienced loss, and those who may, from time to time, stir in anxiety of it.

World Premiere by the EVOKX Chamber Choir, conducted by Terrence Toh, 12 November 2022.

This work is currently distributed for free until December 2024 via a grant by the National Arts Council, Singapore. Choral directors are free to make as many copies as is needed for their ensembles. Please contact EVOKX for more information.